Fare hike burdens commuters, hardly helps drivers – groups
MANILA — While the P1 fare hike may be a welcome development for jeepney drivers affected by rising fuel prices, the increase places an additional burden on the riding public, groups said.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Friday signed the order granting the P1 provisional fare hike for public utility vehicles in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon. The order effectively increased the fare for the first four kilometers to P9 from P8.
The LTFRB board cited the rise in oil prices and the increase in the prices of commodities as the reason for granting the petition of transport groups.
But for Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan and labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno, the hike worsens the budget constraints of the poor without truly addressing the plight of drivers and operators.
The rising prices have been blamed on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, which lowered income tax rates but also imposed higher excise taxes on fuel and "sin" products. Government economic managers contend, however, that TRAIN is not the only reason for higher prices.
“Instead of addressing head-on the collapse of the income of jeepney drivers by repealing the oil deregulation law or suspending the collection of excise taxes on petroleum products, the Duterte administration opted to make the general public bear the burden,” SPARK spokesperson Jade Lyndon Mata said.